Applied Sciences and Engineering Minor

Are you interested in using technology to make a difference in the world? From big problems like global warming to focused needs in your home or community, engineering is all about solving problems. The applied sciences and engineering minor trains students with an engineering and entrepreneurial mindset. You will build on the foundation from your math and science courses, and engage in hands-on engineering applications of real-world challenges.

Join the minor to learn about materials sciences, optics, fluid mechanics, sensors, and more.   

  • Model and simulate systems using modern engineering tools and software
  • Design and build systems for real-world applications using engineering tools in the BeAM makerspace and across campus
  • Use fundamental principles in math and sciences to address applications in at least one area of engineering, such as material science, environmental engineering, instrumentation, or optics
  • Communicate to a wide range of audiences in both oral and written form
  • Understand the ethical and professional responsibilities of engineers
  • Work within teams to design solutions and solve problems

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:

  • take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Prerequisite Courses 

Prerequisite Courses
CHEM 101
101L
IDEAs in Action General Education logo General Descriptive Chemistry I
and IDEAs in Action General Education logo Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I H, F
4
MATH 231IDEAs in Action General Education logo Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F4
MATH 232IDEAs in Action General Education logo Calculus of Functions of One Variable II H, F4
Select one:4
IDEAs in Action General Education logo General Physics I: For Students of the Life Sciences F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity H, F
Select one:4
IDEAs in Action General Education logo General Physics II: For Students of the Life Sciences F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introductory Calculus-based Electromagnetism and Quanta 1, H, F
COMP 110IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Programming and Data Science H3
or COMP 116 Introduction to Scientific Programming
Total Hours23
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

1

PHYS 119 requires MATH 233 as a pre- or corequisite. 

Core Courses

The minor consists of five courses for a total of 15 credit hours.

Core Requirements
APPL 101IDEAs in Action General Education logo Exploring Engineering3
APPL 110IDEAs in Action General Education logo Design and Making for Engineers: Developing Your Personal Design Potential F3
Select one course from the following list: 3-4
Electronics from Sensors to Indicators: Circuits that Interact with the Physical World
Materials Science and Engineering: Living in a Material World
Engineering Fundamentals of Force, Motion, and Energy
Thermodynamics for Engineers
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Physical Computing H
Engineering Tools for Environmental Problem Solving
Select two engineering topic courses from the list below.6
Total Hours15-16
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

 Engineering Topic Classes

Applied Physical Sciences
APPL 350Data Science for Applied Science and Engineering3
APPL 405Convergent Engineering: Team-Science Approaches to Discovery and Innovation 3
APPL 412IDEAs in Action General Education logo Turning Your Entrepreneurial Ideas Into Reality3
APPL 430Optoelectronics from Materials to Devices3
APPL 435Nanophotonics3
APPL 462Engineering Materials: Properties, Selection and Design3
APPL 463Bioelectronic Materials3
APPL 465Engineering of Soft Materials: SpongeBob Squarepants and Other Squishy Things3
Biology
BIOL 226Mathematical Methods for Quantitative Biology3
BIOL 431/BMME 435/PHYS 405Biological Physics3
BIOL 534/MATH 564Mathematical Modeling in the Life Sciences3
BIOL 537Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology3
BIOL 551Comparative Biomechanics3
BIOL/MATH 553Mathematical and Computational Models in Biology3
BIOL 554Introduction to Computational Neuroscience3
Chemistry
CHEM 441
441L
Intermediate Analytical Chemistry
and Intermediate Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
5
CHEM 445Electroanalytical Chemistry3
CHEM 448Mass Spectrometry3
CHEM 449Microfabricated Chemical Measurement Systems3
CHEM 470Fundamentals of Materials Science3
CHEM/PHYS 472Chemistry and Physics of Electronic Materials Processing3
Computer Science
COMP 433Mobile Computing Systems3
COMP/PHYS 447Quantum Computing3
COMP 523IDEAs in Action General Education logo Software Engineering Laboratory4
COMP 541Digital Logic and Computer Design4
COMP 560Artificial Intelligence3
COMP 562Introduction to Machine Learning H3
COMP 581Introduction to Robotics H3
Earth, Marine, and Environmental Science
EMES 415Environmental Systems Modeling3
EMES 560Fluid Dynamics3
EMES 561Time Series and Spatial Data Analysis3
Environmental Sciences and Engineering
ENVR 451Introduction to Environmental Modeling3
ENVR 452/EMES 560/PHYS 660Fluid Dynamics3
ENVR 453Groundwater Hydrology3
ENVR/ENEC 468Temporal GIS and Space/Time Geostatistics for the Environment and Public Health3
ENVR/ENEC 470Environmental Risk Assessment3
ENVR 671Environmental Physics I3
ENVR 672Environmental Physics II3
Mathematics
MATH 347Linear Algebra for Applications3
MATH 528Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences I3
MATH 529Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences II3
MATH/BIOL 553Mathematical and Computational Models in Biology3
MATH/BIOL 534Elements of Modern Algebra3
MATH 566Introduction to Numerical Analysis3
Neurosciences (restricted to NSCI minors and majors)
NSCI 421Principles of Brain Circuits3
NSCI 423Cellular and Molecular Neurotechnology3
Physics
PHYS 331Numerical Techniques for the Sciences I4
PHYS 332Numerical Techniques for the Sciences II4
PHYS 401Mechanics I3
PHYS 405/BIOL 431/BMME 435Biological Physics3
PHYS/BMME 441Thermal Physics3
PHYS/COMP 447Quantum Computing3
PHYS 461Introduction to Medical Physics3
PHYS/CHEM 472Chemistry and Physics of Electronic Materials Processing3
PHYS 515Optics3
PHYS 529Introduction to Magnetic Resonance3
PHYS 660/ENVR 452/EMES 560Fluid Dynamics3
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

Department of Applied Physical Sciences

Visit Program Website

1129 Murray Hall, CB# 3050

(919) 843-5150

Chair

Theo Dingemans

tjdatunc@email.unc.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Rich Goldberg

r.goldberg@unc.edu

Director of Graduate Studies

Rene Lopez

rln@email.unc.edu